


Loopholes and Ladybugs: Ladynoir July 2019

by death-by-ladybug (fandomchildd), fandomchildd



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Ladynoir July, Ladynoir July 2019, Loopholes, Love Triangles, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Unrequited Love, reverse love square
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-06-09 18:37:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19481692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomchildd/pseuds/death-by-ladybug, https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomchildd/pseuds/fandomchildd
Summary: What if Marinette wasn't so alone in her journey? What if she had a friend by her side, always?The Ladybug Miraculous is two earrings, after all.Marinette and Bridgette each wear an earring. Together, they transform into Ladybug and Coccinelle and fight akumas alongside their partner, Chat Noir.So like I had a better summary but then I started to write, somewhere along the way I threw in some gayness, I ditched the idea of Felix existing, I didn't stick to my outline, and I'm way to gay to write straight stuff without side gayness.But hey, it's still Ladynoir. Just... with a side of self-discovery and newly discovered sexualities and definitely some Chloe being gay for Ladybug and Coccinelle.





	1. Miraculouses

**Author's Note:**

> It's Ladynoir July bitches! Where we're fuelled by Spiderman Far From Home angst, Season Three Ladynoir fluff, and lack of sleep. Oh, and boxes. Boxes are really fun to write in.
> 
> I FEEL THE NEED TO NOTE THAT THE FIRST CHAPTER IS MORE OF AN INTRODUCTION AND ISN'T ANYTHING LIKE THE REST.  
> I'm super excited about this and it's getting a disappointing number of kudos and basically no comments. It's at the bottom in all of my stats except word count. Which is really sad, because I'm really proud of this and I've been staying up really late to work on this, pouring a lot of energy into this project, and it's going to be my longest work ever. So far it's eighteen pages, which is the longest I've ever written. Most of my other works are doing much better than this. So, if I end up not finishing it, it's because there's really no point in working on something other people aren't appreciating. I thrive on comments and kudos, and those are my motivation to write. I'd rather be working on something I'm less excited about that gets a lot of comments then something I love that never gets any comments, because comments are what get me through the writers block, what helps me keep going, and what motivates me to stay strong. My home life isn't terrible or anything, but my parents don't exactly like how much I read and write. It's been nearly a year and they still refuse to call me by my chosen name. I have limits on everything, and comments keep me going. There's only a small amount of time when I actually have the inspiration to write. And that time is the time right before my wifi gets turned off, so I don't exactly have much time to write.

Bridgette yanked the blanket off her tired cousin’s body. “C’mon Marinette, we’re going to be late!”

Marinette groaned, pulling herself off her bed and down the stairs, Bridgette following behind. The cousins got out breakfast and sat down, greeting Sabine with warm smiles. “I bet you anything  _ Chloe _ is going to be in our class again,” Marinette sighed once they had sat down. Bridgette hmmed in agreement.

“Four years in a row? Is that even possible?” Sabine questioned, and Bridgette grimaced. 

“With our luck? Definitely,” she replied, shooting Marinette a look. It was  _ way _ too early in the morning to be optimistic. “Pass me the milk, Mari.”

“Don’t say that! It’s a new year. I’m sure everything will be just fine,” Sabine turned back to her stirring. The corners of Marinette’s lips turned up in a half smile, and she set the container of cereal back down. Bridgette leapt up and nearly grabbed the orange rolling down the baguette, but missed and it rolled across the butter knife, sending everything in a chain reaction of disaster. She set the milk down and reached for the broom, but Sabine shook her head. “Don’t worry about it, Bri. I’ll clean it up.”

Bridgette giggled. “Only you could start a chain reaction like that, Mari. Only you.” She wrapped an arm around Marinette’s shoulders and set the yogurt container back upright. “At least I was holding the milk!”

Tom hummed the French national anthem, holding out a box of macarons. “Dad, these are so awesome!” Marinette exclaimed, her hands flying to her cheeks. 

“Glad you like ‘em,” Tom responded, closing the lid. He handed the box to his daughter and Bridgette smiled. 

“Thanks, Uncle Tom, our class will love them. You’re the best!” Bridgette took the box from Marinette. “Sorry, but what are the chances you  _ won’t _ drop them?”

Marinette laughed. “Very low. Thanks, Bri.”

“It was all thanks to your amazing designs, and your perfected recipes,” he pointed at each of the two girls in turn, holding up Marinette’s sketchbook and Bridgette’s recipe cards. Marinette flung her arms around her father, and Bridgette set the box of macarons down to join the hug. They slid off the counter, and Tom caught them with his foot. Bridgette took the box back, kissing Sabine’s cheek and shouldering her backpack. It felt a bit lighter than she expected, and she sighed as she set it down. Marinette may be more clumsy, but Bridgette was much more forgetful. 

Unzipping her backpack, she discovered she had forgotten to pack several of her notebooks. She paused, running back upstairs to pick up the forgotten items. “Marinette, go ahead without me! I forgot a few things, it will only take a minute. Save me a seat!”

Marinette nodded, calling, “See you tomorrow!” to her parents and headed out the door as Bridgette hurriedly packed her bag again. 

She rushed out the bakery door, finding Marinette on the ground with the macarons everywhere. She was helping up an old man. 

“-worry. I’m no stranger to disaster,” Marinette was saying. “Besides, there’s still a few left.”

“Marinette! Are you okay?” Bridgette asked, picking up the old man’s cane and handing it to him. She pulled her cousin off the ground, brushing crumbs off her coat. “What happened?”

“I’ll explain on the way, we have to go!” Marinette cried. “We’re going to be late!”

Bridgette nodded her head. “Sir, are you alright?” she asked the old man. “We’re late, but our parents are just in the bakery right here. Ask them if you need anything.”

“Thank you very much, young ladies,” he said, waving them on. “Don’t be late on my behalf.”

The two girls linked elbows and ran for school, hearing the bell ring distantly. They were definitely going to be late. Neither thought to look back at the old man considering both girls. Either one of them would make a fantastic Ladybug. Now to decide on which…

The two cousins barely made it past Mr. Haprele, skidding into class and taking their seats next to each other with the box of macarons in between them. 

“Nino, why don’t you have a seat in the front row this year?” Mme. Bustier suggested, and Nino trudged up to the front with a sigh. Bridgette started to reach for her bag, but then Chloe’s hand slammed down on the desk. “Marinette Dupain- _ Cheng _ .”

“Here we go again,” Marinette muttered, and Bridgette couldn’t help but agree. Four years. Ugh. 

Bridgette rolled her eyes and leaned over. “So, I just… don’t exist? How nice of you, Chloe,” she quipped, shooting a glare at Sabrina as the redhead slid into the seat on Bridgette’s left. 

“That’s  _ my _ seat,” Chloe ignored Bridgette, and so Sabrina did as well. 

“But Chloe, this has always been my seat,” Marinette protested. 

Sabrina crossed her arms. “Not anymore. New school, new year, new seats,” she demanded. 

“So why don’t you just go and sit beside that new girl over there?” Chloe added, and the new girls looked up from her phone. 

“But I’m sitting next to Bri,” Marinette sighed.

“Listen. Adrien’s going to be arriving today, and since  _ that _ is going to be his seat,  _ this _ is going to be my seat. Get it?” Chloe interrupted, and Bridgette zipped her bag closed. Chloe  _ always _ got what she wanted, and she was set on the seats. 

“Who’s Adrien?” Bridgette asked. 

Chloe and Sabrina burst into laughter. “Can you believe she doesn’t know who Adrien is? What rock have you been living under?” Chloe said, crossing her arms. 

“He’s only a famous model,” Sabrina tacked on. 

Chloe put a hand on her chest. “And  _ I _ am his best friend. He  _ adores _ me. Go on, move.” 

Marinette gasped. “Wait, as in Adrien  _ Agreste _ ?”

“The blonde guy in all the ads everywhere?” Bridgette squinted. “Someone would  _ want  _ to be your friend?”

“I said,  _ move _ ,” Chloe said, jerking a thumb at the empty desk. 

“Who elected you Queen of Seats?” an unfamiliar voice called, and Bridgette turned to look at the new girl. She had pretty ombre hair going from chestnut brown to fiery red, and big hazel eyes behind thick glasses. 

“Look, Sabrina, we’ve got a little good-doer this year,” Chloe cooed, leaning against the desk. “What are you going to do, super newbie, shoot beams at me with your glasses?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” she spat, regarding Marinette and Bridgette with a cheerful grin. “You girls can sit next to me if you’d like. I don’t mind sitting in a row of three!”

Marinette smiled and the Cheng cousins grabbed their stuff and slid into the row next to her. 

“Alright, has everyone found a seat?” Mme. Bustier asked.

“Chillax girl,” the new girl said. 

Marinette sighed. “I so wish I could handle Chloe the way you do.” Bridgette nodded in agreement. 

“Yeah. Aunt Sabine keeps telling us we need to learn to stand up for ourselves,” she added.

“You mean like Majestia does it. As she said, ‘all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing.’ Well, we’re the good people, and that girl is evil. We can’t let her get away with it,” she said, holding up a picture of a superhero in blue, red, and gold. 

“Easier said than done,” Marinette and Bridgette said at the same time, than laughed. “She likes to make our lives miserable.”

“That’s because you let her, girl! You need more confidence, both of you,” the new girl wrapped an arm around Marinette’s shoulders. Bridgette opened the box of macarons and pulled out the last remaining three. She handed on to the new girl, and one to Marinette. 

“I’m Bridgette, and this is my cousin Marinette,” Bridgette grinned at the newbie. “Thanks for the advice.”

“I’m Alya,” Alya said, taking the macaron. “I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship.”

Mme. Bustier started talking, and the three girls fell silent. 

Class was uneventful, other than a brief skirmish between Kim, the athletic jock, and Ivan. Bridgette turned her head the other way, knowing better than to get in between two boys. The three girls headed to the library, as none of them had P.E., and started on the first homework of the year. 

A loud  _ boom _ outside made Marinette fall out of her chair, and Alya dragged her new friends to the outside cameras. A huge stone monster seemed to be destroying the streets, shouting Kim’s name in Ivan’s voice. Bridgette shivered. Just looking at the monster… it felt wrong. Really wrong. 

“What’s going on?” Marinette stuttered. “He-he had Ivan’s voice?”

“It’s as if he’s been transformed into a real-life supervillain!” Alya exclaimed excitedly. “GPS, check. Battery, check. I am  _ so _ out of here!”

“Hey! Where are you going?” Bridgette asked, and Alya spun around.

“When there’s a supervillain, a superhero is  _ always _ close behind! No way I’m missing this!” The redhead ran from the library.

Marinette watched the cameras intently, flinching when the stone monster threw a car at the camera. Bridgette looped her arm around Marinette’s and dragged her out. “C’mon, we need to get home. Aunt Sabine and Uncle Tom are probably worried.”

Marinette stopped for a second. “Why do you refer to them as  _ our _ parents but call them Aunt Sabine and Uncle Tom?”

“Sometimes I trick myself into thinking we’re a family,” Bridgette sighed. “But you’re their daughter and I’m just the niece whose family didn’t make it.”

“I  _ hate  _ first days back at school,” Marinette whimpered as she watched the news from her computer. Bridgette plopped into the extra chair, spinning around a couple times. 

“Me too,” she grumbled, staring down at her phone. “Stupid supervillain. It was almost starting to be a good day too.”

“Hey, what’s this?” Marinette asked, and Bri looked over. A weird black box with red markings sat on their desk. 

“I don’t know, I’ve never seen it before,” she said. Marinette picked it up, cautiously prying the lid open. A ball of light formed, materializing into a red and black creature floating above the box, which held a pair of black and red earrings. 

Marinette dropped the box in surprise, leaping backwards. “Help! It’s- a giant bug! A- a mouse! A… bug-mouse!”

Bridgette went completely still, holding a shoe in her hand and creeping up behind whatever it was. She really didn’t want to know. 

“Everything’s okay. Don’t be scared!” The creature tried to reassure her. 

“Ahh! Bug-mouse talks!” she cried, and Bridgette nailed the creature in the back of the head with her shoe. 

Or tried too. The creature dodged, and Bridgette fell to the floor with the force of her momentum. The creature looked at Bridgette, then back at Marinette, and back again. 

“Oh dear. I think the Guardian made a mistake in his old age. There’s only supposed to be one person,” it sighed. “Oh well.”

Marinette lunged forward, trapped the creature in a glass cup. 

“Okay, if this makes you feel safer. I’m a kwami, and my name is Tikki. Please, let me explain,” it started, and Bridgette got the feeling that her life would never be the same again. First, the stone monster, and now this. “One of you was chosen to be a superhero. Or maybe both, I don’t know. I grant the person who wears my earrings the power of creation and good luck.”

“Then why are there two of us?” Bridgette asked. “You should ask Alya, she’s our friend. She loves superheroes.”

“No! No one else can ever know about this, okay? You two were chosen,” Tikki insisted. 

Marinette grabbed the box and handed it to Bridgette. “Bri, you’d make a better hero than me. You be the hero. I’ll… support you from the sidelines.”

Bridgette eyed the box. “Well, you said whoever wears the earrings, right? There are two earrings there…”


	2. Chapter 2

Even after three years of being a hero, Marinette never got used to the rush of being a superhero. Never got used to the wind whistling through her hair. Every time she swung her yoyo, she was free of all the weights and responsibilities of being Marinette.

Not to say that being Ladybug didn’t come without responsibilities. She was Ladybug: hero of Paris. Everyone relied on her, and believed in her. Akumas attacked three to four times a week. She  _ had _ to defeat every akuma. She couldn’t afford to lose. But those burdens, she shared with her partners. Coccinelle and Chat Noir were always there for her. 

Marinette  _ loved _ being Ladybug, and she doubted anything would ever change that. 

(Of course, it didn’t hurt that one of her partners was a hot, flirty catboy in a skintight leather suit and the other was a huge Ladynoir shipper.) 

As if on cue, Coccinelle swung on to the roof next to Ladybug. “Hey, sis! Tomorrow is Adrien’s birthday, do you mind if I skip patrol?”

“You just want to get me and Chat alone, don’t you,” Ladybug side eyed her cousin suspiciously. “I mean, not that I’m complaining. And it  _ is _ his birthday.”

Coccinelle broke out in a huge smile. “I knew you’d understand! Thanks, bug!”

The older red-spotted bug yoyoed away, and Ladybug felt Coccinelle’s transformation fade away. It had taken a while to perfect the one-of-us-is-not-transformed formula, but they now had it down pat. Three years was a long time to practice, after all. Ladybug sighed, breathing in the frigid night air. It wasn’t very cold, and most people would tell you it was a nice night to be outside. Maybe a bit on the cold side, but nothing unexpected for early December. Sadly, as she took on the heavier creation elements of being a Ladybug wielder and Bridgette took on more of the luck side of it, Marinette also got more drastic side effects. Like extreme cold sensitivity. And Bridgette loved to point out that the Black Cat happened to produce a lot more heat for his bug in the winter. 

Which is why Ladybug wasn’t going to say anything. She would face the winter by herself, thank you very much. Imagine if Hawk Moth found out about her weakness! Worse, imagine if  _ Alya _ found out. The eager reporter ran the Ladyblog, a site entirely based on the red clad Ladies of Paris. And, of course, she loved to instigate ship wars. Most of Paris, actually, was engaged in the ship wars between Ladynoir and Coccinoir. Despite the heroes denying to be in any relationships. 

Coccinelle was no help, subtly hinting that she shipped Ladynoir. Which, while true, wasn’t something that Ladybug wanted out there. The ship wars were embarrassing enough. 

“Evening, m’lady,” a breathy voice whispered into her ear, and Ladybug whirled around. Chat Noir expertly dodged her elbow, because he’d snuck up on both bugs enough to know  _ exactly _ what the result would be. An elbow in the gut, hard enough to bruise, or a flailing limb that probably  _ would _ bruise. “Where’s ‘Elle?”

Ladybug shivered slightly (it was just the cold air, she told herself. Nothing to do with her partner’s nearness). “Oh, she had something to do in her civilian life. She couldn’t make it tonight.”

“I guess it’s just you and me, then,” Chat plopped down on the rooftop next to her. “Hawk Moth has been… strangely quiet. Like he’s preparing for something big.” He paused. “And I’d hate for something to damage your pretty face, m’lady.”

Ladybug giggled. “Me, pretty? Nah. ‘Elle’s the pretty one.”

“Coccinelle may be cute, bug, but I assure you you’re much more beautiful. Besides, your sparkling personality shines more brightly than your good looks,” he winked. “Seriously, though, you bugs look really similar. You can’t say one of you is pretty and the other isn’t.”

“Thanks, Chat,” Ladybug said, turning her head to hide her red cheeks. “You’re pretty, too.”

He laughed. “I know. Mére was a model, and I look a lot like her.”

Ladybug wrapped an arm around the suddenly quiet hero. “Well, if she looked anything like you, she must have been an angel.”

“Yeah,” he breathed. “She was.”

A few minutes of silence later, Ladybug stood up. “Alright, enough sitting around. We have actual patrol to do, kitty, and Coccinelle didn’t ditch us for us to slack off!” She got to her fett, pulling Chat up with her. “C’mon, if we get a lot done and maybe get photographed, we can make her feel guilty about abandoning her poor partners in the cold.”

Chat cracked a smile. “Well, when you put it that way… I  _ spotted _ an eager Ladyblogger heading our way.”

Ladybug looped her arm in Chat’s. “Lead the way, chaton.”


	3. Patrol

Bridgette smirked as she scrolled through the pictures popping up on the Ladyblog. Most were candid, just Ladybug and Chat Noir chatting on a rooftop, and then they seemed to notice Alya. Then the photos ranged from playful to dramatic. She brushed off her flour-covered hands, and saved a couple of the pictures to go on the hero-wall in their bedroom. 

She let out a little happy gasp at a picture with Chat leaning over Ladybug, giving her a flirty smile and  _ almost _ looking like he was about to kiss her. Ladybug’s cheeks were slightly flushed, her eyes sparkling and bright. The next post was a live video, and Bridgette tapped on it quickly. She should have skipped  _ way _ more patrols if she had thought  _ this _ would happen. 

_ “Oh my god, oh my god. Are you guys seeing this? Oh. My. Fucking. God,” Alya muttered, barely picked up by the camera. Chat had an arm around Ladybug’s waist and he was leaning in just a little bit, and Bridgette swore his eyes flickered towards her lips.  _

_ But then the moment was gone as an explosion sounded in the distance. The two heroes jerked apart, both blushing, and they leapt away in the direction of the akuma.  _

_ “DID YOU SEE THAT?? DID THAT REALLY JUST HAPPEN? FUCKING HAWK MOTH AND HIS FUCKING AKUMAS AND BITCHES THAT’S LADYNOIR RIGHT THERE. YOU SEE, ASSHOLES? ALL YOU FUCKING COCCINOIR SHIPPERS WHO HATE ON MY BLOG, FUCK OFF BECAUSE THAT. IS. MY. LADYNOIR. HAWK MOTH, I’M GOING TO BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF YOU ONCE I GET MY HANDS ON YOU. YOU RUINED THE FUCKING MOMENT,” Alya screamed,  _ and honestly, Bridgette couldn’t help but agree. 

She closed the tab and headed up on the balcony, where Ladybug stumbled to the rail and muttered, “Spots off.” Tikki flew out of Marinette’s earring and inhaled a cookie. 

“I’m ready,” she announced.

Marinette nodded absentmindedly, and the two girls transformed in a flash of pink light. It was already a little late, and akumas went by much quicker when both Ladybug and Coccinelle showed up. Not to mention the test they had tomorrow in Literature. 

Ladybug and Coccinelle swung away from their balcony, heading in the direction of the loud noises. Coccinelle internally cursed Hawk Moth and his bad timing as she skidded to a stop next to Chat Noir. Ladybug stopped at his other side. 

“What’s the situation?” Coccinelle asked, and Chat looked at her with a very dry look. 

“Apparently it’s an angry fan,” he started, and then the akuma started yelling. 

“ _ CHAT NOIR! YOU’LL PAY FOR CHEATING ON COCCINELLE. YOU HAD A PERFECT GIRLFRIEND AND YOU CHEATED ON HER WITH HER OLDER SISTER. HOW COULD YOU?” _

Coccinelle winced. “I didn’t realize I was dating Chat Noir. Seriously, though, this is ridiculous.”

“I didn’t realize that people think I’m older,” Ladybug voiced. “Taller, maybe, but I’m a year younger. I guess that makes sense, though. I skipped a year of school when I was really young and none of my friends know, so I guess I’m used to acting older than I am.”

Chat glanced at Ladybug. “I always thought you two were twins or something.”

“Nope! Believe it or not, we’re not even sisters. I’m half French, half Chinese, and she’s full Chinese,” Ladybug added. “No clue how we both ended up with blue eyes, because I may be horrible at science but that’s not how genetics are supposed to work.”

Coccinelle laughed. “We got really lucky with genes. With life, actually.”

“And as entertaining as this conversation is, there’s an akuma we kinda need to fight. She’s targeting Ladynoir shippers. Why has my life turned into fighting superpowered angry fangirls that think I’m cheating on a girl I’m not even dating, with a girl I’m not in a relationship with?” Chat complained, and Ladybug giggled. 

“Maybe you should stop being so pretty, then,” she patted his shoulder condescendingly and swung towards the villain, who had moved on from ranting to throwing blasts of light that trapped people in huge, glass domes. 

“COCCINOIR IS CANON! LADYBUG IS NOTHING MORE THAN A SIDEKICK!” the akuma yelled. 

Ladybug cringed and landed in front of the akuma. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but I’m the leader here.”

“Ladybug,” the akuma hissed. “I am Señorita Mariquita, your reckoning! I’ll give your earring back to its rightful owner, Coccinelle! And then the  _ true _ hero will be the  _ only _ hero.”

“Ugh, is her name  _ literally _ just lady ladybug in Spanish?” Ladybug asked. “Who made her name? And just  _ look _ at her outfit. It’s a reverse ladybug costume with a skirt. Why? I mean, sure, get akumatized over your ship wars. Trap people in domes if they don’t agree with you. I can deal. But in  _ that _ costume, no. Seriously, next time have Hawk Moth have a better fashion sense. I’m offended by the way that skirt drapes. It’s worse than a six-year-old’s tutu.”

Coccinelle leaned over to Chat. “She gets savage when someone gets in between her and her goals,” she stage whispered. He smirked. 

“Yeah, I can kinda tell,” he whispered back. Señorita Mariquita was cowering back from Ladybug’s rage, picking apart every detail of her outfit with a critical eye. 


	4. Babysitting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a direct continuation of chapter three.

For a moment there, Coccinelle thought that a furious Ladybug’s words alone would be enough to tear down the akuma. There were very few people that Coccinelle would wish Marinette’s rage on, but this ‘Señorita Mariquita’ was  _ very _ close to becoming one. 

Well, her akuma form anyway.

A movement caught Coccinelle’s eye and she turned to see Alya edging closer with her phone recording the entire exchange. So caught up in her rant, Ladybug didn’t even notice Señorita Mariquita raising her staff, the end starting to glow.

“LB LOOK OUT!” Alya shouted, shoving Ladybug out of the way of a blast. A glass dome formed around nothing, and Señorita Mariquita sighed and waved it away. 

“So close,” she said, turning towards another group of civilians and swinging her staff. 

Ladybug yanked Alya to her feet. “Thanks, Alya. Coccinelle have a whole wall in our room of pictures you’ve taken of us.”

Alya squealed, and Ladybug stepped away to stand by her partners again. “Plan B: she’s after me, Chat Noir, and any Ladynoir shippers. Coccinelle, you’ll figure out Plan C as we distract her. Got it? Good.”

“If you’d have told me three years ago that there would be battles fought over shipping me and you with a catboy, Bug, I’d have thought you were crazy and moved to China with grandma,” Coccinelle grinned. “Throw in an extra punch for me, will ya?”   
“Of course,” Ladybug smiled. “How could I refuse the ‘true hero of Paris.’”

Coccinelle rolled her eyes. “I don’t know, how could you?”

Ladybug and Chat Noir split up and circled around to Señorita Mariquita’s other side. 

Ladybug winked at Chat, leaping forward and using his shoulders to cartwheel out of the way of the akuma’s glass. She landed perfectly on her feet, spinning her yoyo to shield herself. Chat extended his baton and tapped Señorita Mariquita’s shoulder to distract her from his partners. She ignored it, targeting Ladybug. The heroine’s eyes widened at the sudden onslaught of glass thrown at her to trap her. 

Chat cursed and dove a second too late, the glass dome forming against a wall and trapping the two heroes together. Ladybug’s cheeks flushed, the bravado from the fight fading as she took in the position she was in. Chat wasn’t faring much better, keenly aware of every inch of Ladybug’s body pressed against his. She squirmed, trying to escape from the dome trapping her. 

“Don’t,” Chat panted, twisting his wrist. “I think I can destroy the glass. Can you feel my hand moving around at all?”

Ladybug shook her head. “Nothing.”

“Good.  _ Cataclysm _ ,” he whispered, the glass turning to dust at his fingertips. The two heroes flopped down next to each other on the dusty crowd. A hushed argument drew their attention to one of the glass domes trapping civilians. 

“See, Oliver? I told you Ladynoir was closer to canon than Coccinoir,” a woman with dark red hair said, and the black haired man next to her shook his head. 

“Fine! Fine. I admit it. You’re always right, Carmine,” he draped an arm over her shoulders. “Have fun convincing Toby, though.”

“Easy! He’s my twin and I have blackmail.”

“True.”

Chat shook his head and got to his feet, offering Ladybug his hand. “Let’s go find the akuma, m’lady.”

“Mon minou, do you think ‘Elle would care if I didn’t get up.”

“Bug. Akuma.”

“Fiiine,” she sighed, grabbing Chat’s hand. He pulled her to her feet. 

Glancing down at his ring, he added, “Let’s make this quick, I only have four minutes left.”

Ladybug and Chat Noir glanced at each other and raced after the akuma pursuing Coccinelle. “Señorita Mariquita!” Coccinelle shouted, her eyes darting away from her partners. “Don’t you want me to rule? Why are you listening to my enemy?”

“Petite Coccinelle, don’t you understand? Hawk Moth only wants to end this,” Señorita Mariquita crooned. “Once he’s done, you’ll get your Miraculous back, and anyone who stands in your way will face my wrath.

“But any Ladynoir shippers have to go.”

Coccinelle laughed. “ _ I’m _ a Ladynoir shipper.”

Señorita Mariquita shrieked, firing a glass dome at two teenage girls, and Alya who was trying to usher them to safety. Coccinelle and Ladybug were both moving before Chat could stop them, always ready to protect their best friend and biggest fan. They saw each other too late, and the dome fell in place around the five girls. Chat ran over.

“Hold on, bugs, I need to recharge,” Chat attempted to cut the glass with his claws, but even the sharp points couldn’t scratch the material. “I’ve already used my Cataclysm.”

Ladybug pressed her palms against the glass, frowning. “Hurry, kitty, I’m not sure how much air is in here.”

He smiled. “Of course, m’lady.”

Chat slipped away, Señorita Mariquita growling at his disappearance. “Where did that mangy cat go? He just left his lovers behind?”

Ladybug sighed and sank to the ground, leaning against the dome. “Sorry, girls. We’ll have to wait.”

“Oh my god, it’s Ladybug and Coccinelle!” one of the girls exclaimed, and the other squealed. “We’re trapped in a bubble with Ladybug and Coccinelle!”

“Coccinelle and Ladybug,” the other tried to correct. “Obviously Coccinelle is in charge.”

“No, Ladybug is. Ladybug is the strong, fearless leader and Coccinelle is the little sister,” the first girl explained. “Duh.”

“No, Coccinelle is the only reason Chat Noir and Ladybug know each other. She’s dating Chat Noir, and chose her older sister, her idol, to share her powers!”

“You’ve got your story all wrong, Gloria. Ladybug and Coccinelle are both single, but Chat Noir is in love with Ladybug. Ladybug has been rejecting Chat because she has a crush on some super hot guy in her civilian life. And Coccinelle is  _ definitely _ gay.”

“Mon dieu, Beth, you’re just projecting. Coccinelle is the cute bi girl in the corner type, and Ladybug is the gay one. Chat and Coccinelle are dating, but too shy about their love lives to say anything.”

Ladybug burst out laughing. “Is that really what people think about us?”

“I don’t know. This is the weirdest argument I’ve ever witnessed,” Coccinelle giggled. “It’s worse than babysitting.”

“Wait, what? What’s the real story here?” one of them, presumably Beth, asked. 

“We’re all single. I’m a year older than Ladybug but she skipped a grade, and I totally ship Ladynoir. I’m panromantic asexual, Ladybug’s bi, and we’ve never really asked Chat but based on who he’s flirted with I’d say bi or pan. Coccinoir will never and has never happened, he’s like a brother to me. Besides, if things go my way, someday he’ll be my brother-in-law,” Coccinelle smirked. “I think I’m doing pretty good with that, aren’t I, Ladybug?”

“‘Elle! You can’t just- ‘Elle!” Ladybug spluttered, blushing. “Okay, and Coccinelle has a crush on Adrien Agreste.”

“Bug!” Coccinelle screeched, face turning red. “You can’t just-”

Ladybug just crossed her arms and smugly looked away. “See, ‘elle? I know  _ everything _ about you.”

“You eat flowers and aphids and chirp when you’re happy!” Coccinelle blurted out. “I know everything about you, too.”

“Joke’s on you, I’m not ashamed of my bug tendencies,” Ladybug stuck her tongue out. “We have a partner with cat tendencies, sis, my bug tendencies are  _ nothing _ .”

Coccinelle glared at her cousin. “I should have moved to China when I had the chance.”

“Then you never would have met-” Ladybug paused, drawing in a deep breath for affect, only to have Coccinelle’s hand clamp down over her mouth. 

“Alya’s recording, and we can’t have civilians in danger because of  _ feelings _ ,” Coccinelle explained, and Ladybug sombered up. 

“Of course, partner,” Ladybug wrapped an arm around her cousin’s shoulders. “Alya, you better edit out names.”

Alya nodded vigorously. 

“See! I told you, Glory.”

“No, but I was kinda right too! I was more right than  _ you _ .”

“Admit it! I was closer!”

“I was definitely closer, Beth.”

As the two girls continued arguing, Coccinelle sighed. 

“ _ Definitely _ worse than babysitting,” Ladybug added.


	5. Lost

“So apparently I’ve lost Ladybug privileges.”

Chat Noir spun around, taking in the grey-clad girl next to him. Her hair was done up in twin buns on the top of her head, and a jump rope hung from her waist. Her suit was accented with pink. “Ladybug?”

“Yeah, it’s me. Call me Multimouse. Coccinelle is on a warpath,” she plopped down on the edge of the roof next to her partner. “How’s your day going, kitty?”

“Not much better than yours. There’s a girl who doesn’t really understand personal space, and thinks I’m too good for my friends.” Chat sighed. “Not the first time, sadly.”

“There’s a girl who’s decided I’m a threat to her carefully crafted web of lies and her crush, who she thinks likes me. I hope he doesn’t, because that’s Coccinelle’s crush. I’ve been dodging akumas all day, and Coccinelle is really pissed on my behalf but also on her crush’s behalf. He’s too polite to shove her off his arm.”

“Well, I have to go in a few minutes, my schedule is nearly overflowing,” Chat Noir offered a tired smile. “Seeing you was more than enough to get me through the rest of the day, though, m’lady.”

Multimouse leaned against his shoulder. “Do you care if I just sleep for those few minutes?”

Chat flopped backwards, pulling her with him. “Do you care if _I_ sleep?”

“Not really.”

“Mon dieu, you two are adorable,” Coccinelle’s voice said, and Chat blinked. The sky was dark, and the stars twinkled through the wisps of clouds. “Don’t move, chaton. I don’t want to wake Mouse, this must be the first time she’s gotten proper sleep in days.”

He groaned, closing his eyes again. “What time is it?”

“It’s nearly ten.”

Chat stiffened, and Multimouse shifted, stretching farther over his chest. “I was supposed to be at work four hours ago. My father’s going to kill me.”

“Well, I’m not waking her up,” Coccinelle smirked. “But if you want to, I’m not going to stop you.”

He looked down at the heroine curled up on his chest, hair in space buns and absolutely adorable in her grey and pink suit. “I don’t think I could if I wanted to.”

“That’s what I thought,” her smile disappeared. “We never got to talk after Señorita Mariquita.”

“What-”

“You looked like you were going to kiss her.”

His face crumpled. “I _was_ . ‘Elle, I’m terrified. I’ve never had good examples for _anything_ , no one to look up to. Everything I know about real life experiences I’ve taught myself. I’m just- so _lost_.”

“Chat, you know you’re like a brother to me. Ladybug might as well be my sister by this point. We live in the same room and have for _years_ . And damn, that girl has ways to sneak into your heart. Platonically, romantically, it doesn’t matter. Anyone who knows her loves her. You can’t just _not_ love Ladybug.   
“In conclusion, if you break her heart I’ll fucking kill you.” She paused, smiling. “But I’ve always wanted a brother.  
“You’re not _lost_ , Chat, you just don’t have a guide. There’s a difference. You don’t need someone to hold your hand and walk you through it, nor do you need an example. You need a pencil and a paper and maybe a compass, so you can start making your own map.  
“Also, I have no idea what I’m talking about but this bullshit sounds pretty damn inspirational so I hope it helps you!” Coccinelle cheerfully swung away with a wink.

Leaving Chat to deal with the sleeping, normally-Ladybug-themed-but-currently-mouse-themed, way too adorable to wake up hero sleeping peacefully on top of him.

Nathalie was going to give him hell for going missing, wasn’t she. Oh well, he could just claim he got lost fleeing fans or something like that.


	6. Lucky Charm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug and Chat Noir mope around patrol. The next day, Ladybug has a solution for her kitty's problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so... it's july 27th.  
> I suck at writing but to be fair I was busy. Like, cleaning my room (mostly), procrastinating (a lot), listening to music, ignoring my responsibilities (ALL THE TIME), dying my hair maroon, having GREAT ideas (I wanna see Luka coming into a room, seeing Adrien flirting with Mari, and hissing. Everyone looks at him and goes silent (because Luka's chill about everyone) and Adrien hissing back (like an angry cat) and everyone being like WHAT THE FUCK and Adrien, Luka, and Mari having NO IDEA what just happened.)   
> I need sleep. Y'know what, fuck sleep, I have thirty minutes before mom turns the wifi off, let's see how much I can write.

The only part of being Chat Noir that Adrien  _ didn’t  _ like was the bad luck that came with it. When people asked him why he was in a bad mood, he’d blame modelling or not feeling well or deflect in some other way. It was hard to stay in a good mood when everything went wrong in yet another photoshoot, or his father stood him up again, or he kept losing little things he  _ swore _ he knew where they were. 

“Kitty, what’s wrong?” Ladybug asked, her voice warm and worried. He blamed Plagg. Of  _ course _ he ran into her when he just wanted to be alone. 

Not that he minded her company or anything. Or the way she threaded her fingers through his hair, scratching his ears in the way she  _ knew _ would make him melt into a puddle of content kitty superhero, his loud purrs echoing through the nearly silent evening. He pointedly ignored the question as he buried his face into his partner’s stomach. 

It was a great way to end a really crappy day, other than the merciless questions that were sure to follow. 

“That bad, huh? Same,” Ladybug sighed, staring up at the sky. Chat startled.

“M’lady?” he asked, then when she said nothing, he started talking. “My father is threatening to take me out of school again. Too many things around me getting affected by my bad luck, I guess,” Chat explained, sitting up and wrapping his arms around Ladybug. “You?”

She sighed, her head lolling back to rest on his chest. “New bitchy girl tearing apart the class,  _ worse _ than the old bitch, doesn’t know when to fuck off. Before Hawk Moth, the class was clumped up in small friend groups. After all the attacks, you could put any two people in the same room for hours and they wouldn’t fight unless it was over ship wars.  _ Don’t _ bring up ships. You could put together any group, really. Now, I  _ guarantee  _ there would be an akuma before the end of an hour.”

“Oof. Do you get really good luck, or is it just me who gets shitty luck?”

Ladybug’s head shot up. “You get bad luck as a side effect?”

“I’ll take it it’s only me, then,” Chat assumed. “Everything goes wrong around me, and Plagg confirmed yesterday that it’s a tendency.”

“Well, things tend to right around me and Coccinelle, but I never asked Tikki,” Ladybug replied, thinking over all the things that had happened in the past few days. “I  _ used _ to have shitty luck, but it has gotten better recently. Or, maybe that’s just me finally not tripping over my feet every few steps.”

“Bad luck sucks.”

“Chat!”

Chat Noir spun around, meeting a bouncing Ladybug’s eager gaze. “You were right! It’s a tendency!”

“What?” Chat put his hands on her shoulders to get her to stop her movement. “I was right about what? I mean, of course I was, I’m always right. What was I right about again?”

“Good luck powers! Tikki taught how to imbue stuff with luck, anyways,” Ladybug paused, catching her breath. She reached into a bag thrown over her shoulder, pulling out a string of beads. “Here, it has enough good luck to counter your bad luck for at least a month.”

She glanced back at her partner, who hadn’t taken the charm. He was staring at her, mouth hanging open and cheeks slightly flushed. “You- you made me a good luck charm?”

Ladybug smiled sweetly, her face pinking slightly. “Of course I did! I have a good, loving family, someone to talk about hero dilemmas with who  _ isn’t _ a kwami, tons of friends, and apparently good luck powers. You only have your kwami- actually, I’m going to talk to Coccinelle and Tikki about letting you reveal yourself to someone who can cover for you- an absent family, and incredibly bad luck. You need all the support we can offer you.”

The next day, Brigdette noticed the almost dreamy expression on Adrien’s face and the way he kept slipping his hand into his bag, as if reassuring himself something was still there. She smiled, glad her oblivious crush was having a good day. 

Even if it meant he wasn’t in love with  _ her _ , she wanted the best for him.


	7. Bad Luck Charm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lila gets some payback. Chloe steals the spotlight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have three minutes before wifi turns off so it's unedited. Enjoy your second chapter of tonight!

Coccinelle alone showed up to patrol a few weeks after Chat’s luck had dramatically improved with Ladybug’s lucky charm, with murder in her gaze and clutching a colorful bracelet. She grabbed onto Chat’s shoulder and shook him, hard. “THAT LYING BITCH NEARLY GOT LADYBUG AKUMATIZED!!! IMA MURDER HER, DESTROY HER-” She started coughing, and Chat patted her back. “Ugh, I hate choking on my own spit.”

“Coccinelle, who dared hurt our partner.” The cold rage was enough to make Coccinelle shiver. “Fuck secret identities, who hurt her.”

Coccinelle shook her head. “Oh! By the way, you’re allowed to tell one person that you trust your identity. Tikki agreed, and apparently Plagg doesn’t really care.”

“Coccinelle, tell me who hurt her.”

She shook her head again. “I can’t. Not allowed to tell each other. I did come here for something other than pure rage.” She smirked, and Chat almost pitied the poor girl who inflicted the three heroes’ rage upon herself. Almost. He would never pity someone who hurt Ladybug. 

“So, remember when Ladybug gave you a good luck charm? Well, I stole one of her bracelets. Care to imbue it with bad luck?”

“Morning, Lila!” Brigdette greeted the liar happily. Already, not even having carried the charm around for an entire day, Bridgette was having a horrible day. Maybe it was the placebo effect, but she could almost  _ feel _ the dark energy  _ dripping _ off the bracelet. “Hey, I found one of your bracelets yesterday!” She handed it to the Italian girl, keeping up the innocent act perfectly. “I would have texted you, but I don’t have your number.”

“Oh, thank you so much!” Lila offered a sugary smile, taking the bracelet and slipping it back on her wrist. Tikki had reassured her that her sensitivity to the luck in the bracelet was only a wielder thing, but she still worried. 

The plan was going  _ perfectly _ . Lila didn’t expect a thing, and all the lies directed at the Cheng cousins only benefited them in some way, earning them back strained friendships and straining Lila’s. It was getting to a point where Lila actually summoned an akuma (and she had realized it too), until Chloe made a scene, snatched the akuma, and screeched obscenities at Hawk Moth for much longer than necessary. 

Bridgette had Marinette record it as she slipped away to transform, taking longer than she should have before marching into the classroom, Chloe letting out a delighted squeal at the hero’s entry, and purified the akuma. 

“Thanks, Chloe. That was very brave of you, holding on to the akuma long enough for me to arrive,” Coccinelle said calmly, secretly relishing in the way Chloe glowed at the praise. 

No akuma was going to go after Chloe anytime soon, that’s for sure. 

Coccinelle and Ladybug giggled over the footage, huddled up on a rooftop under a huge blanket with a bowl of popcorn in between them. 

“Bugs?” Chat dropped down behind them, grinning when he recognized the scene playing on the chromebook in between them. “What’s happening?”

“Oh, nothing, just a video a friend sent to us,” Coccinelle laughed at a particularly obscene sentence, then collapsed at Chloe calling him “A fucking spoon in a tux with absolutely  _ ridiculous _ designs, even more shitty than Gabriel Agreste’s everyday outfit.”

Chat grinned at that, just as touched by the jab at his father than he was when Chloe had said it. Ladybug lost it at “You’re getting pretty desperate, Fart Moth. Twenty  _ six _ akumatizations of Mister Pigeon? Fuck, he failed the  _ first _ time. Why the other twenty six times?”

When the video ended, Coccinelle grabbing Chat’s arm and yanking him underneath the blanket. “We’re having movie night. Celebrating lucky charms, bad luck charms, and Chloe owning a supervillain’s ass.”

He ended up with a sleeping bug on either side of him, both curling up closer to him. And really, he was fine with that. 


	8. Homework

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien is /not/ okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is /not/ what was supposed to happen here. It was supposed to be cute Ladynoir fluff working on homework. THEN PLOT COMES OUT OF NOWHERE AND POSSESSES ME so nope, no cute fluff. Identity shenanigans.

Adrien nervously paced his room. This was okay. He could do this. Ladybug and Coccinelle had given him permission to reveal himself to someone he trusted. 

He trusted Nino. He could do this. Plagg was okay with this. Plagg was totally on board with the whole ‘Chat needs love and support’ plan. Nino was coming over to study, they would work on homework, inevitably get off track and probably play some video games, and he was going to find a way to reveal himself. 

But first, homework. Everything else could wait. 

He pulled out his algebra book. Algebra should just die in a pit. Screw Hawk Moth, math was going to be the death of him. 

But no. Nino was more clueless about math than he was, and besides, Ladybug would probably drag him out of the grave to murder him again if he died by  _ math _ before Hawk Moth was defeated. 

And if not, Marinette would probably bring him back one final time to kill him for not helping her and Bridgette with the subject they dreaded:  _ physics _ . 

Personally, Adrien loved physics. And applying them to superhero incidents was  _ amazing _ , especially when the Ladyblog had a whole forum that was for, as Alya had said, “For all you internet science nerds to freak out about magic.” It was a great way to nerd out where no one was judging him, on the contrary they were joining in!

Ladybug and Coccinelle would never let him live it doen if they knew. 

Adrien’s train of thought was interrupted with the crackling of the intercom. “Adrien, your friend is here,” Nathalie announced, and Adrien gave Plagg a shaky smile. 

“Kid, you’ll be fine,” Plagg grumbled, diving for his usual hiding spot. “Stop worrying. Nino will probably be super excited.”

“Tell him to come right up,” Adrien told Nathalie, flipping over his physics worksheet to the next page. Homework. That’s all this was. He was going to work on homework with his best friend. 

He could deal with revealing himself later, and later meant later. 

“Dude, are you already working?” Nino asked, leaning against his doorway. “Loosen up, you need to be less responsible for a while.”

The akuma in the middle of the study session did  _ not _ help.

But hey, even a black cat can see an opportunity when it’s right in front of him. 

“Hey, Nino?” Adrien started. “I have something to confess.”

Nino looked at him. “Okay, you’re being weird. As long as you’re not confessing your love to me, dude, you know I’ll still be your best bro.”

Adrien laughed, Nino’s joke helping alleviete some of the tension in the room. “I guess it would probably be better if I show you. Plagg, claws out!”

Which was followed by the dorkiest transformation sequence Nino had ever seen, and the dreaded sound of the door opening and Chloe clearly saying “Adri-” before stopping, and Nino winced.

The two boys stared at Chloe in growing horror. 

She stared back, her jaw dropping. 

“Wait, you know Coccinelle and you didn’t tell me?” Chloe shrieked, and Nino flopped off the side of the couch. 

Chat Noir-  _ Adrien _ sighed. “ _ That’s _ the first thing you say?”

“Oh, right. Akuma. Go fight it quick and we’ll talk later,” Chloe fixed him with a glare. “Go on, shoo. I promise I won’t wreck you room or anything.”

Chat nodded dazedly, and leapt from his window with practiced ease. 

Chloe and Nino stared at each other for a long time. Chloe broke the silence. “Did you know before today?” she asked in a small voice. Nino shook his head. 

“This is new to me, too.”

She smiled. “Well, that answers a lot. He’s always disappearing, and even Uncle Gabe wouldn’t give him so many photoshoots.”

“Dude, Alya’s going to kill me if she ever finds out,” Nino said, dread lacing his tone. “I mean don’t get me wrong, I’m honored that he told  _ me _ , but she’s going to kill me dead.”

“Well, there are secret identities for a reason. Maybe she’ll never find out.”

They looked at each other and burst out laughing. “It’s Alya, of course she’s going to find out someday,” Chloe amended.

“So you have a crush on Coccinelle?” Nino asked. “I mean, pretty sure Ladynoir is more likely to be canon, anyways.”

“Yeah,” Chloe said wistfully. “She’s just so- so strong. She looks like she could take on the world and, well, she’s gorgeous. I like Coccinelle because she’s not like Ladybug. She doesn’t let her pride or her temper get the better of her. She’s sweet, and kind.”

“Dude, you’ve got it bad. Lucky that we know a certain black cat who’s basically dating her sister, huh Chloe,” Nino smiled. “Grabbing that akuma was really awesome, by the way. I think Coccinelle really appreciated it.”

Chloe grinned. “I was actually coming here to have someone to rant to about her. Didn’t expect you to be here.”

“Well, it worked out just fine for us. We can all rant about our kick-ass ladies together now,” Nino decided. “You’ve been really awful, Chloe, but I think there was just part of you that none of us were willing to see.”

“Well, I wanted to be worthy of someone like Coccinelle. Of course I’m not as bitchy,” Chloe sniped, and they both laughed.

Chat basically fell through his window, detransforming with a flash. Nino and Chloe were at his side in an instant, helping him limp to the couch. “Don’t worry, the cure will heal me,” he reassured them.

Neither friend paid any attention to that detail and scolded the model for being too altruistic.

When Chat Noir told Ladybug that one of his best friends walked in while he was transforming to reveal himself to his  _ other _ best friend, Ladybug and Coccinelle just laughed their asses off. 

At least it wasn't Nathalie!


	9. A Helping Hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette angsting and Chloe being gay, with a side of cliffhangers. Enjoy.

“I bet you can’t beat Juleka in a lap around the ice rink!”

“I bet  _ you _ can’t!”

Kim and Alix’s bets echoed around the enclosed ice rink, and Marinette shivered. Mme. Bustier had planned this field trip a while back, and back in the much warmer early fall, it had sounded like a good idea. Now, Marinette and Bridgette slowly and awkwardly skated around the rink, shivering from the cold and clumsy on the slick ice.

The rest of the class seemed to be having a good time, but sliding across the ice was  _ not _ Marinette’s idea of fun. Juleka, especially, was  _ amazing _ at skating. Rose said she went skating with her brother often, which explained a lot. 

She missed Chat. It had been a tough couple of weeks since she had seen him, busy with commissions, designing, homework, and taking advantage of the lack of akumas to hang out with her friends as much as she could. Coccinelle had almost completely taken over patrols, as her work ended earlier in the day so Tom and Sabine could get some sleep. As bakers, they had to get up early each morning, and Bridgette was normally up with them. 

Both girls functioned only after an unhealthy amount of coffee during Hawk Moth’s busy times, when he akumatized nine to ten people in a week. They were both grateful for the lull in activity. Well, and if the sightings meant anything, he was stopping petty crime everywhere.

Still. Marinette missed her partner. 

She briefly wondered if he missed her, then shook her head. It had only been a couple of weeks. He was probably just relaxing and enjoying the lack of akumas. It could only be a good thing, right? He could still talk to Coccinelle, and she wasn’t really needed. 

Right?

Bridgette glanced around, snickering at Marinette’s sudden flail (before doing the exact same thing) and her eyes caught on Adrien. He wasn’t skating, but working on homework. According to Nino, between the modeling, fencing, Mandarin lessons (he was already fluent in English, French, and Italian), and schoolwork, he barely had any time to work on homework. 

He had his head buried in his hands, papers and a textbook in his lap, and suddenly he fell forward. He jumped, apparently just waking up, and looked despairingly down at his scattered papers. Bridgette pitied him. Her schedule was nowhere as busy as 

Bridgette slipped out of the rink, heading for the tiny cafe near the rink with Mme. Bustier’s permission. She’d been there a few times with Alya and Marinette, and it was the perfect setting to sit and read. 

Chloe burst out of the cafe right as Bridgette was reaching for the door. She blinked, and raised her eyebrows. 

“Hey, Chloe,” Bridgette greeted warmly, a stark contrast to the cold, crisp air. Chloe nodded, trying to balance three steaming cups of coffee? Hot chocolate? Bridgette couldn’t tell. 

“Cheng.” Her fingers slipped and one of her drinks fell out of her feeble grasp. Bridgette, used to people (Marinette) dropping things, caught it on instinct. “Thanks,” Chloe looked at Bridgette, suspicious. 

“No problem! You looked like you needed a helping hand anyways,” Bridgette eyed Chloe’s gloves (designer, probably). “I can carry this for you, if you want. Three?”

“One for me, one for Sabrina, and one for Adrien. Is he still sleeping?” Chloe explained, a brief glimpse of worry flitting across her features. 

Bridgette shook her head. “I think I saw him topple off his bench, which, I know from experience, isn’t easy to sleep through.”

The two girls warily talked as they made their way back to the rink, and by the time they got back, they were laughing. Most of the class looked up, having never heard a sincere laugh from Chloe, but they ignored the stares. Chloe breezed past Adrien, setting his coffee next to him, and linked arms with Bridgette. A quick glance around the room (and verbal confirmation from Mme. Bustier) revealed that Sabrina had gone home early feeling sick. 

Chloe promptly handed one of the hot chocolates to Bridgette and then moved on like nothing had happened, plopping down next to Adrien. 

Bridgette would then deny any friendly accusations of  _ friendship _ with Chloe. Chloe only had two friends, Sabrina and Adrien. 

Right?

A shout of surprise came up from the ice rink, and Bridgette only had a second for her brain to scream ‘akuma’ before she was encased in ice. 

With Tikki, the Ladybug Kwami with a severe cold aversion, trapped in her purse.

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr is death-by-ladybug.


End file.
